Animal feeding nipple

Abstract

A nipple for feeding liquids to domesticated mammals.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a nipple for feeding liquids to a domesticated mammal, the nipple comprising an elastic molded body comprising: (A) a nipple tube having a distal end and a proximate end, a length between the distal end and the proximate end and a wall with a thickness that are suitable for suckling by the mammal, and having proximate its distal end a self-sealing aperture through which liquid flows from inside the nipple tube into the mammal in response to suckling by the mammal,   (B) a traverse wall having an inner perimeter and an outer perimeter, the inner perimeter being joined contiguously over its entire length to the proximate end of the nipple tube and the outer perimeter being separated from the inner perimeter and more distant from the proximate end of the nipple tube than the inner perimeter, and having an external face and an internal face, the external face being on the side of the nipple not exposed to liquid feed and the internal face being on the side of the nipple exposed to liquid feed when the nipple is used,   (C) a vent located between the inner perimeter and the outer perimeter of the traverse wall and extending from the external face to the internal face of the traverse wall, wherein the vent in the traverse wall is an opening defined by a wall which extends from the external to the internal face of the traverse wall and is substantially cylindrically disposed about an axis, and   (D) a means for attaching the nipple to a receptacle which contains liquid feed for the mammal, the improvement which comprises a check valve at the end of the vent at the internal face of the traverse wall, the check valve comprising a means for equalizing pressure inside and outside of the nipple during withdrawal of liquid from the nipple by suckling of the mammal while preventing leakage of liquid out of the nipple, the means comprising an annulus which is centered on the axis of the vent, has an inner radius that is approximately the same as the distance from the wall to the axis of the vent, has a top face that is positioned inwardly into the space inside the nipple from the inward face of the transverse section, and is integrally joined to a second cap which blocks the opening of the annulus, protrudes inwardly from the top face of the annulus into the space inside the nipple, has an inside wall which faces the opening of the annulus and an outside wall which faces inwardly into the inside of the nipple, and has a slit that extends from the inside wall to the outside wall of the second cap.   
     
     
       2. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein the length between the distal end and the proximate end of the nipple tube and the thickness of the wall of the nipple tube render the nipple suitable for suckling by bovine calves. 
     
     
       3. The improvement according to claim 2 wherein the nipple is made of natural rubber. 
     
     
       4. In a nipple for feeding liquids to a domesticated mammal, the nipple comprising an elastic molded body comprising: (A) a nipple tube having a distal end and a proximate end, a length between the distal end and the proximate end and a wall with a thickness that are suitable for suckling by the mammal, and having proximate its distal end a self-sealing aperture through which liquid flows from inside the nipple tube into the mammal in response to suckling by the mammal, wherein the nipple tube at the distal end thereof has a first cap, which comprises the self-sealing aperture, and wherein the wall of the nipple tube consists of the first cap and a tube which extends from the first cap to the proximate end of the nipple tube and, when the nipple tube is not flexed, is substantially cylindrically disposed about a first axis, and wherein the self-sealing aperture of the first cap is a slit extending through the wall of the nipple tube,   (B) a traverse wall having an inner perimeter and an outer perimeter, the inner perimeter being joined contiguously over its entire length to the proximate end of the nipple tube, the outer perimeter being separated from the inner perimeter and more distant from the proximate end of the nipple tube than the inner perimeter, and the inner and outer perimeters beings substantially circular about the first axis, and having an external face and an internal face, the external face being on the side of the nipple not exposed to liquid feed and the internal face being on the side of the nipple exposed to liquid feed when the nipple is used,   (C) a vent located between the inner perimeter and the outer perimeter of the traverse wall and extending from the external face to the internal face of the traverse wall, wherein the vent in the traverse wall is an opening defined by a wall which extends from the external to the internal face of the traverse wall and is substantially cylindrically disposed about a second axis, and   (D) a means for attaching the nipple to a receptacle which contains liquid feed for the mammal, the improvement which comprises a check valve at the end of the vent at the internal face of the traverse wall, the check valve comprising a means for equalizing pressure inside and outside of the nipple during withdrawal of liquid from the nipple by suckling of the mammal while preventing leakage of liquid out of the nipple, the means comprising an annulus which is centered on the second axis, has an inner radius that is approximately the same as the distance from the wall to the second axis, has a top face that is positioned inwardly into the space inside the nipple from the inward face of the transverse section, and is integrally joined to a second cap which blocks the opening of the annulus, protrudes inwardly from the top face of the annulus into the space inside the nipple, has an inside wall which faces the opening of the annulus and an outside wall which faces inwardly into the inside of the nipple, and has a slit that extends from the inside wall to the outside wall of the second cap.   
     
     
       5. The improvement according to claim 4 wherein the length between the distal end and the proximate end of the nipple tube and the thickness of the wall of the nipple tube render the nipple suitable for suckling by bovine calves. 
     
     
       6. The improvement according to claim 5 wherein the nipple is made of natural rubber. 
     
     
       7. In a nipple for feeding liquids to a domesticated mammal, the nipple comprising an elastic molded body comprising: (A) a nipple tube having a distal end and a proximate end, a length between the distal end and the proximate end and a wall with a thickness that are suitable for suckling by the mammal, and having proximate its distal end a self-sealing aperture through which liquid flows from inside the nipple tube into the mammal in response to suckling by the mammal, wherein the nipple tube at the distal end thereof has a first cap, which comprises the self-sealing aperture, and wherein the wall of the nipple tube consists of the first cap and a tube which extends from the first cap to the proximate end of the nipple tube and, when the nipple tube is not flexed, is substantially cylindrically disposed about a first axis, and wherein the self-sealing aperture of the first cap is a slit extending through the wall of the nipple tube,   (B) a traverse wall having an inner perimeter and an outer perimeter, the inner perimeter being joined contiguously over its entire length to the proximate end of the nipple tube, the outer perimeter being separated from the inner perimeter and more distant from the proximate end of the nipple tube than the inner perimeter, and the inner and outer perimeters being substantially circular about the first axis, and having an external face and an internal face, the external face being on the side of the nipple not exposed to liquid feed and the internal face being on the side of the nipple exposed to liquid feed when the nipple is used,   (C) a vent located between the inner perimeter and the outer perimeter of the traverse wall and extending from the external face to the internal face of the traverse wall, wherein the vent in the traverse wall is an opening defined by a wall which extends from the external to the internal face of the traverse wall and is substantially cylindrically disposed about a second axis, and   (D) a means for attaching the nipple to a receptacle which contains liquid feed for the mammal, wherein the means for attaching the nipple to the receptacle comprises a side wall having a top, a bottom, an outer face extending from the top to the bottom, and an inner face extending from the top to the bottom, the top of the outer face of the side wall being contiguously joined to the outer circumference of the external face of the traverse wall, and the top of the inner face of the side wall being contiguously joined to the outer circumference of the internal face of the traverse wall, wherein the inner face of the side wall has a pitch inward toward the first axis, the improvement which comprises a check valve at the end of the vent at the internal face of the traverse wall, the check valve comprising a means for equalizing pressure inside and outside of the nipple during withdrawal of liquid from the nipple by suckling of the mammal while preventing leakage of liquid out of the nipple, the means comprising an annulus which is centered on the second axis, has an inner radius that is approximately the same as the distance from the wall to the second axis, has a top face that is positioned inwardly into the space inside the nipple from the inward face of the transverse section, and is integrally joined to a second cap which blocks the opening of the annulus, protrudes inwardly from the top face of the annulus into the space inside the nipple, has an inside wall which faces the opening of the annulus and an outside wall which faces inwardly into the inside of the nipple, and has a slit that extends from the inside wall to the outside wall of the second cap.   
     
     
       8. The improvement according to claim 7 wherein the length between the distal end and the proximate end of the nipple tube and the thickness of the wall of the nipple tube render the nipple suitable for suckling by bovine calves. 
     
     
       9. The improvement according to claim 8 wherein the nipple is made of natural rubber.